Check out the first commercials for the Galaxy S4

As the release date approaches, the first (of many) commercials for the Samsung Galaxy S4 have emerged online.

Samsung is gearing up to release the Galaxy S4 in major markets from around the world at the end of April. To prepare the terrain for its new flagship, the Korean giant is investing huge amounts in marketing, with TV and online ads being one of the main areas of focus.

The first commercials for the Samsung Galaxy S4 have appeared today online. Focusing on the software features, three of the ads have been uploaded on Samsung’s Netherlands YouTube account. Unlike some of the Samsung ads from 2012, the clips focus exclusively on the features of the Galaxy S4, such as Sound & Shot, Group Play, and S Translator. Personally, I find this focus on product features (rather than jabs at competitors) refreshing. Check the three 30 second clips below.

A fourth commercial is seemingly addressed to the UK market. This one highlights the design and physical features of the Galaxy S4.

What do you make of these first Galaxy S4 ads? Effective? Inspiring? Or not so much?

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Microsoft Office for Android and iOS rumored for fall 2014 launch

A new report reveals that a purported roadmap for Microsoft’s Office updates includes Office mobile version for Android and iOS, which could be launched only in 2014.

For years now, Microsoft has been said to work on Office versions for smartphones and tablets running competing platforms, but the company never unveiled a product so far.

The new rumor says that Microsoft may only bring Office to Android and iOS devices in fall 2014, which means users interested to use Redmond’s productivity suite on certain smartphones and/or tablets will still have to wait a while. Earlier rumors said that an Office product for Android could be launched by mid 2013.

As for this new report, nothing is confirmed at this time, and Microsoft wasn’t willing to share anything “about the next set of updates to Office” with ZDNet.

Although it can’t be confirmed at this time, the mentioned roadmap reportedly dates back to early 2013. In addition to listing “Gemini Wave 2.0” – a project codename for the Office suite – for Android and iOS, the roadmap also lists other potential launch periods for future Office updates for other platforms, including Windows, Windows RT, Mac OS X and Windows Phone. Here’ how that “alleged roadmap” looks like:

• Gemini Wave 1.0 (October 2013): Windows Blue app updates
• Gemini Wave 1.5 (April 2014): Office for Mac; Office RT refresh; Perceptive Pixel support; Windows Phone support refresh
• Gemini Wave 2.0 (October 2014): Outlook RT; Office for iOS/Android

We’ll keep an eye for future Microsoft Office updates, as future releases could confirm or deny the rumored scheduled above in future months.

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Glass coming to Glass Explorers within

 a month, Google launches Glass

 Collective

If you attended Google I/O 2012 and happened to hand over $1,500 promising that you’d buy Glass or if you were one of the 8,000 selected in Google’s recent #IfIHadGlass contest, you’ll be happy to know your time is about to finally arrive. Someone close to the matter spoke with TechCrunch, informing them that Glass Explorers shall be receiving their wearable tech within the next month. The timing for this couldn’t be any more perfect as Google I/O 2013 is just around the corner  in San Francisco from May 15th to 17th. Glass will most likely be an extremely hot topic and even a center stage event next month. Getting Glass to developers seems like a smart move as Google wants developers to be excited for Glass.

Things are about to get really exciting. As  a Glass Explorer, I’m like a giddy school girl over today’s announcements. I can’t waitGlass is one of the most innovative ideas with mobile technology since the mobile phone debuted 40 years ago. If you have an innovative idea for Glass and you are looking for funding, Google just might have a solution for you. Today, Google Ventures launched the “Glass Collective” in collaboration with Andreessen Horowitz and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. The Glass Collective is an investment group set out to provide seed capital to Glass entrepreneurs, to help them get started on their projects.

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Galaxy Mega 6.3 and Galaxy Mega 5.8 official: specs, features, release

date and pricing

Samsung on Thursday announced two new Galaxy smartphones, the Galaxy Mega 6.3 and the Galaxy Mega 5.8, both devices that appeared in a previous series of leaks and rumors.

The Mega is a new subfamily of the Galaxy tree, one that seems to include even bigger handsets than the Note series.

Specs and features

We have seen rumored specs and features for both devices already but it’s time to look at the real deal. From the start, we’re going to tell you that these aren’t necessarily flagship devices by 2013 standards, although they’re certainly going to offer you a great Android experience.

Galaxy Mega 6.3

• 6.3-inch LCD HD display with 720p resolution
• 1.7GHz dual-core processor
• 1.5GB of RAM
• 8GB/16GB storage
• microSD support up to 64GB
• 8-megapixel camera
• 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct
• GPS, GLONASS
• LTE support
• IR sensor
• NFC
• MHL
• Size: 167.6 x 88 x 7.9mm
• Weight: 199g
• 3200mAh battery
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with Samsung’s TouchWiz on top
• Samsung apps: Group Play, Samsung WatchON, Samsung Link, S Translator, ChatON, S Memo, S Planner, S Travel, Story Album, Air View

Galaxy Mega 5.8

• 5.8-inch LCD display with qHD resolution (960 x 540)
• 1.4GHz dual-core processor
• 1.5GB of RAM
• 8GB storage
• microSD support up to 64GB
• 8-megapixel camera
• 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct
• GPS, GLONASS
• IR sensor
• Size: 162.6 x 82.4 x 9.0mm
• Weight: 182g
• 2600mAh battery
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with Samsung’s TouchWiz on top
• Samsung apps: Group Play, Samsung WatchON, Samsung Link, S Translator, ChatON, S Memo, S Planner, S Travel, Story Album, Air View

Release date and pricing

As usual, official press releases for new products aren’t ready to reveal that many availability details for said devices. The same goes for the new Galaxy Mega smartphones announcement.

Samsung says the handsets will launch “globally” starting with May when they’ll hit “Europe and Russia.” Since Samsung makes a clear distinction between Europe and Russia, does this mean that Russian Android fans will be the first ones to get the new devices? We’ll have to get back to you on that once Samsung and carrier partners will be ready to share more information.

The company didn’t specifically mention any release dates for the U.S. market at this time.

Pricing details for the either model aren’t available at this time either, so we’ll just have to wait for retailers to share more details about their Galaxy Mega launch plans. At least one retailer in Germany has started taking Galaxy Mega 6.3 pre-orders even before Samsung announced the smartphone (priced at €699), but we’ll advise you to stay away for such offers until we actually get official pricing for the new devices.

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Leather case for Galaxy Note 2 from Issentiel

Issentiel Samsung recently likes to cultivate the image where they are the company proposing the new innovative and creative technology of the market. More than any other smart phone among those swarming the phone market these past years, one that particularly needs protection and be safe from physical damage and scratches is Samsung’s Galaxy Note 2.

First impression of the leather case from Issentiel: the presentation. The case comes in a light and well-presented box where the brand is clearly shown “Issentiel”, together with its marine turtle logo! The latter represents rarity, solidity and longevity according to them. Fair enough. Inside the box we find the case, which is nicely wrapped in a fabric pouch. We are not there yet, nor have seen the product, but we can already feel that the quality is there.

Once the case in hand, we can feel the quality of the material from the first touch and a quick glance confirms the fact that the stitches are not made industrially. Every single detail: from the presentation upon delivery, the packaging and more importantly, the product in itself has been thought out.

The big advantage, besides being able to seduce a wide variety of customers thanks to a very accurate design and style, the Galaxy Note 2 cases are available in two different collections, each with its own appeal. Concerning today’s review, the Note 2 fits perfectly into a case especially designed for it. We can feel the handcrafted finish of the cover, and it adds elegance to a Samsung phablet that does not lack any.

Luxury leather cases.. at an affordable price
If there is one point on which all mobile phone users tend to agree on is this one: newer and more technological smartphones are more fragile than their predecessors. We are way past the era of the first mobile phones and telecommunications where Nokia was almost the only actor on the market (more realistically, had such a presence that we had the impression that it was). Or where mobile phones had the exaggerated reputation of being virtually indestructible!

Partly because of its touchscreen technology and because of the multiple functions those mobile phones have nowadays, hence the name smart phone, having a case that keeps our precious phones safe is important. A major issue is nowadays that of phone longevity and users look for the best protection for their smartphones.

Issentiel – French brand for leather smart phone cases
This is where Issentiel takes a step into the big picture. An agreeable surprise when it comes to Issentiel, is that each case is specially designed for the corresponding smart phone. The french company inspires itself from the world of fashion ,which long contributed to the reputation of the city of Paris, to design elegant, cosy and classy cases for the most popular models of smartphones. What better choice to cover a smart phone than a luxury case made in genuine leather and manufactured by artisan leatherworkers throughout Europe.

You can win this Case! Just tell us in a comment below why you should win it.
The winner will be chosen in 3 weeks from today that is April 20th.

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Review: Samsung Nexus 10 (GT-P8110)

The Nexus 10 is a collaboration between Google and Samsung. The tablet was announced in November of 2012. After months and months of trial and error we finally managed to grab a Nexus 10 and now here is our full review. In this review we will determine if the Nexus 10 is indeed one of the best Android tablets on the Market or not.

Introduction

The Nexus 10 is Google’s first 10″ tablet and it’s a stunner! As we get further into the review I will talk about both the hardware and the software of the Nexus 10. During this review we will take a look at the following points of the tablet:
- Hardware and design
- Interface
- Performance
- Camera
- Battery life
- Conclusion

Hardware and design

The Nexus 10 uses plastic as its main build component and the build quality of the tablet is just superb. The Nexus 10 has the most practical 10 inch tablet design ever. Samsung and Google has designed it in a way that a person can easily hold it in one hand and operate it from the other. The weight of the tablet is also evenly distributed. On the back, Samsung uses a rubberized material which makes the Nexus 10 much comfortable to hold and gives the tablet a smooth feel, plus adds a lot of grip. The front of the tablet is covered by Corning Gorilla Glass 2 and underneath it a stunning 10.1 is Super PLS display with a resolution of 2560×1600, giving it a pixel density of 300 PPI. Making the Nexus 10 the highest resolution tablet on the market, even higher than Apple’s iPad with Retina Display (264 PPI).

On the front of the Nexus 10 you will find a 1.9 Megapixel front facing camera which is capable of shooting up to 720p HD video and 2 stereo speakers which produce some outstanding results. On the top of the tablet, there is a Power/Lock button and a Volume Rocker. On the left side of the device you will find a MicroUSB port for charging/syncing and a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the right side of the device you will find a MicroHDMI port. And a Magnetic Pogo pin charger is located on the bottom of the Nexus 10.

The dimensions of the Nexus 10 are 263.9 x 177.6 x 8.9 mm and it weighs 603g. The tablet is available in two storage configurations, 16GB and 32GB. The storage can’t be expanded by using a MicroSD card and there is no 3G/4G connectivity.

 

Interface

The Nexus 10 runs on the latest and greatest from Google, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Android 4.2 brought a lot of new features, like Multiple user support, Gesture Typing, Notification Settings, Daydream and the amazing Photo Sphere Camera. The stock Android experience really shines on the Nexus 10 as the OS is completely optimized for its high resolution display, so everything looks crisp and clear.

Google did some alterations to it’s Tablet UI in Android 4.2 and made it unified with it’s 7″ Tablet UI and the Phone UI. The traditional navigation bar is at the bottom but the notification center which used to be in the bottom as well has been shifted upwards, like in the Phone UI. I think this was a really nice move by Google as new users can easily adapt to the Tablet UI now.

Performance

The Nexus 10 packs a dual-core (Cortex-A15) Samsung Exynos 5250 processor clocked at 1.7GHz, Quad-Core Mali-T604 GPU and 2GB of RAM. At first, I thought the device would lack on performance due to the tablet only having a dual-core CPU but I was wrong. The Nexus 10 proves that Android really doesn’t need more than 2 cores. I was really pleased with the overall performance of the device.

Multitasking is just excellent on this tablet. I opened 12-15 apps (including 2 memory intensive games) but I got no lag whatsoever. Transitioning between opened apps was really fast and smooth. The gaming experience was really amazing on this super high-res tablet too. Thanks to Project Butter, the UI was fast and responsive. The only problem I had was the launcher redraw issue. Whenever I used to close an app and go back to my home screen the launcher used to redraw, this was very annoying. This issue might get resolved by a software update in the future.

I also ran some benchmarks on the Nexus 10. Below are the results:
Antutu = 13639
Quadrant = 4555
Cf-Bench = (17382, 6637, 10935)

Camera

The Nexus 10 features a 5 Megapixel camera sensor which is capable of shooting 1080p video at 30FPS. The camera isn’t all that great and I have seen much better camera sensors on tablets. Actually, I was a bit disappointed. The Nexus 10 can capture acceptable images in good lighting conditions or with flash but in low light conditions it’s just terrible, a lot of noise in the image. Same goes with video recording as well, the sound quality was good though. Below are some images taken with the Nexus 10:

     

Battery life

The Nexus 10 packs a huge 9000 mAh Lithium polymer battery and it certainly needs the huge battery to power the stunning high-res display. The battery life is really impressive on the Nexus 10, I easily managed to get 7-8 hours of video playback and the standby time on this tablet is just magnificent, even with WiFi turned on the whole time.

Conclusion

Yes, The Nexus 10 is indeed one of the best Android tablets in the market right now. The Nexus 10 features a stunning super high resolution display with an impressive battery life. The tablet packs a lot of raw power and gives an outstanding gaming experience as well. Camera and the lack of expandable storage are the only cons of the Nexus 10. Also, the device will be among the first ones to receive the latest Android updates and at such a low price, it’s a steal!

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